I plan to provide a series of messages in regard
to deficiencies in various areas of Minneapolis
government. With the recent election of certain
officials, who have demonstrated a refreshing
concern about representing the rank and file of
Minneapolis residents, we can all anticipate a
renewed pride in being Minneapolitans.
However, ordinary citizens have a responsibility
for helping our elected leaders, as well as
those who are immediately involved, locate the
governmental problem areas that require attention.
In this message, I will discuss the chronic
problem of the Office of the City Clerk in
frequently not having provided sufficient notice
of various meetings, including hearings, and
how there was a partial improvement in
providing for the notices of this week of May
twentieth.
For the Weekly Meeting Schedule of
May 13-17, 2002 there was only an advance
notice of about five and a half hours for the
Ways & Means/Budget meeting.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: Weekly Meeting Schedule of May 13 - 17, 2002
Date: 5/13/02 7:42:25 AM Central Daylight Time
Minneapolis City Council Committees & Functions
Week of May 13, 2002
All meetings are in the Council Chamber, 317 City Hall, unless noted.
MONDAY (5/13)
1:30 p.m. - *Ways & Means/Budget
4:30 - Planning Commission
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
However, this was an improvement over the
timing of the previous week's announcement:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subj: City Schedule for Week of May 6
Date: 5/6/02 10:36:14 AM Central Daylight Time
MONDAY (5/6)
1:30 p.m. - *Community Development
Public Hearings: (1:30) a) North Washington Industrial Park:
Consider Modification #14 to the Redevelopment Plan and Modification #90 to
the Common Plan.
b) University Gateway Project (200 Oak Street SE): Consider
issuance of up to $8,000,000 in non-profit facility Revenue Bonds for
facility improvements.
Minneapolis Community Development Agency Operating Committee follows
Community Development meeting
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My neighborhood includes the 200 Oak Street
SE location which is about one mile west of my
home. Consequently, I have an interest in this
project because of its location as well as the
public funds that are involved.
I do not think that giving notice less than three
hours in advance is satisfactory. Why couldn't
the notice had been made by late Friday
afternoon? The Office of the City Clerk may feel
that their notice is not the first notice that this
hearing has had. Let us examine the
possibilities of earlier notices.
It is my understanding that this particular public
hearing had notices on the following basis:
- 45-day early notice to the School Board, City
Planning Commission and the neighborhood
group.
- 30-day transmittal to all interested parties
which includes the three mentioned above
plus some property owners, City Council,
Hennepin County and also anyone else that
has requested notice (for this specific
purpose?).
- 30-days before the public hearing a notice is
put in both the Star Tribune and the Finance &
Commerce newspapers.
I don't believe that the above notices would be
very helpful to the typical Minneapolis resident.
The Office of the City Clerk performs a very
valuable service to Minneapolis residents with
its emailing of city scheduling -- but only when
an adequate length of time is provided for
notices of meetings.
The newest notice of meetings was sent out
on Thursday, May seventeenth which provides
more Weekly Meeting Schedule advance notice
than I ever recall experiencing:
"Subj: Weekly Meeting Schedule of May 20 - 24, 2002
Date: 5/17/02 3:10:05 PM Central Daylight Time"
However, an amended notice was issued on
Monday, May twentieth:
"Subj: Weekly Schedule of 5/20/2002 AMENDED
Date: 5/20/02 10:09:21 AM Central Daylight Time"
This amended notice announced a Monday
meeting at 8:00 PM (over two hours in arrears)
and other changes, including the addition of a
Saturday meeting.
I hope that the Office of the City Clerk is able
to maintain the apparent attempt at improvement.
Perhaps improvement may be hindered because
of laxness in getting information to the Office of
the City Clerk in a timely fashion.
Call the Office of the City Clerk at (612)
673-2215 or 673-3130 if you are interested in
receiving the Weekly Meeting Schedules by
email.
In my next "Deficiencies in Minneapolis
Government" message, I will discuss the
problem that the Minneapolis Community
Development Agency apparently has in
identifying and providing information about
its projects. The "University Gateway
Project" will be cited as an example.
Neal E. Simons
Prospect Park
_______________________________________
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